What does the process consultant do?
The process consultant is an individual who facilitates the results of a positive group effort through mediation. The role of a consultant in group dynamics can be compared to the role of a traffic cop at a busy urban intersection. The officer would evaluate the volumes of the vehicle, identified existing and potential narrow places and direct the operation to achieve a smooth and continuous flow without participating as a driver. Process consultants evaluate group processes and identify logistics problems, interpersonal conflicts, hierarchical narrow places and poorly or ambiguously defined goals and advise the group accordingly. The successful consultant of the process should be well familiar in the industry, has a foundation in psychology and ideally have a quiet and analytical disposition.
Most of the unclean group efforts encounter problems in one or the other point where, no matter how qualified or qualified can be a team, they just can't "see the forest for trees". The causes of these debt are diverse, but include personal disputes, poorly defined goals and conflicts of interest. When these situations appear, the group members more often suffer from the "vision of the tunnel" to be too close to the situation to identify the root problem. This is where the consultant of the process becomes an invaluable contribution to the team dynamics.
The process consultant observes group interactions and distance efforts and identifies blocks of injury based on solid knowledge of the process and functioning of interpersonal and group interactions. The task of the consultant is to identify problems, advise a group of their existence and propose a potential solution. The consultant can directly intervene as a mediator in cases of personal conflict, but otherwise proposes only activities or identify blocks of injury, thereby seizing the group to solve the problems. This distance element must always be maintained, thereforethat direct participation in the actual problem solving process removes the consultant of the process from the critical position of impartiality.
There are few received global definitions concerning the educational requirements of candidates for process consultants. Ideally, those interested in this critical field should have at least a solid background of psychology and strong analytical skills. Useful other courses for this contribution include small group learning and adventure education. A calm and compound personality is also necessary, because the consultant must always remain impartial, unlimited and eloquent, as possible, especially when suggestions or observations cause fire from the group.